1CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.

1
Electronic Licensing Techniques and Technology

• ICU - September 2003
• Scott Baeder, Sr. Architect, Cadence Design
  Systems
• baeder_at_cadence.com

2
Agenda

• Introductions
• Licensing A Brief Overview
• Technology
• The Next Generation
• Techniques
• Understanding your Environment
• Understanding Cadence License Files
• Understanding Cadences Licensing Standards
  Policies
• Troubleshooting Licensing Issues
• Other Gotchas
• Useful Pointers

3
Introductions

• Scott Baeder baeder_at_cadence.com
• Sr. Architect specializing in Licensing and
  Installation Technologies
• Over 20 years in Electronic CAD
• Involved in Licensing and Installation at Cadence
  for over 12 years.
• Involved with product definition and licensing
  methodologies
• Helped define many of the next generation
  procedures in place today.
• Attended my first ICU in 1995
• Served as Advocate in System Administration for
  several years

4
LicensingA Brief Overview
Back to Agenda
5
Licensing A Brief Overview

• Licensing at Cadence is Complex
• Getting consistency is like herding Cats
• In 1998, we had over 600 products from 5
  different Bus (from 20 different companies)
• It has only gotten worse over time as we have
  grown
• Some products (part numbers) have been around a
  LONG time
• Its more painful to change them than it is to
  live with minor anomalies
• Licensing Policies are driven by the Business
  Model
• And, the model has changed several times over the
  past 15 years Point tools, mergers, FIRM vs.
  STREAM, Floating vs. Locked, etc.

6
Licensing A Brief Overview

• Cadence delivers a new, complete license file is
  sent to the customer anytime
• They purchase additional software
• They re-mix applications between servers
• Cadence releases an updated version of software.
• The license file(s) as generated by Cadence, will
  allow all supported releases of a given part
  number to operate correctly.
• As long as version number in file is greater than
  or equal to version requested.

7
Licensing Starts To Evolve

• Initial process of creating products,
  implementing licensing very loosely managed in
  the early 90s...
• First set of OMI Policies put in place in
  mid-90s to
• Manage process of license creation and fulfilment
  from RD perspective
• Provide uniform functionality and behaviour
  across entire product lines
• Instituted change control process within RD
• Migrate new acquisitions to cdslmd based scheme
• Use common APIs a wrapper to hide the FLEXlm
  API

OMI Orderability, Manageability, Installability
8
Licensing Starts To Evolve

• In 2001, introduced Corporate Product Master
  database to manage all product lines enforce
  all product/features policies
• CPM is more Product Centric vs. historical
  Release Centric approach
• BUT...
• As important as these efforts were, they were
  internally focused
• Licenses were fulfilled from separate and
  antiquated systems
• SoCadence recognized the need to
• Dramatically change the way we interact with our
  customers
• Create an open, flexible infrastructure to
  support future and existing business models
• These were some of the catalysts for a Next
  Generation System

9
TechnologyThe Next Generation
Back to Agenda
10
Next Generation Fulfilment
Bring Cadence Closer to our Customers

• Our Goal
• Increase customer satisfaction
• Increase customer productivity and environment
  sustainability
• Provide infrastructure for simplification and
  automation
• Provide better information to manage product
  portfolios

Existing Infrastructure
New Infrastructure
11
Next Generation Fulfilment

• Ensure security compliance
• Enforce new policies
• Complete visibility of configuration
• Increase accuracy
• Enable complete contract compliance
• License generation on demand
• Faster turn around time

24x7, Fast Reliable Access
12
Next Generation Fulfilment

• Unified and secured infrastructure for Contract
  Management and Configuration Fulfilment
• 24x7 on demand system availability over internet
• Unified database designed with layered
  entitlement
• Unified and accessible Reporting
• Streamlined license management by providing
  complete license files with access to the latest
  versions
• One unified license file for each server
• Product Licenses are generated with the latest
  entitled version

13
Licensing Continues To Evolve

• BUT..
• As important as these efforts were, they were
  focused on Fulfilment
• The actual licenses being delivered were still
  limited by the FLEXlm implementation
• Focus on the core licensing technology to
• Enable more flexible licensing (packaging),
• We need to easily create new product packaging
  and Platforms
• Provide customer requested features (customer
  satisfaction)
• Subscription vs. Version based keys
• Enhance Security

14
Next Generation Technology

• As an early adopter of FLEXlm, Cadence acquired a
  source code license from Globetrotter.
• Cadence made several modifications to the plain
  vanilla FLEXlm code.
• These were implemented to provide functionality
  that was not available in FLEXlm at that point in
  time
• Made it difficult to update to a new version of
  FLEXlm code
• While this was corrected, we are still limited
  due to license file format restrictions.
• Cadence still uses the v2.4 file format of FLEXlm
  
• Given the critical nature of licensing, the
  cost/risk of making any change must be carefully
  analyzed.
• This all means that we need to take a slow,
  methodical approach before any changes are
  implemented.

15
Next Generation Technology

• Current file format looks like this...
• FEATURE 34510 cdslmd 5.000 01-jan-2004 10
  1234567890ABCDEEDCBA UHD 80654ae1
• While a future license file may look more like
  this...
• FEATURE 34510 cdslmd 5.000 01-jan-2004 10
  VENDOR_STRINGUHD \ DUP_GROUPUHD
  HOSTID80654ae1 \ ISSUED03-mar-2003
  START01-jan-2002 \ SIGN"002A 0144 4AA5 01FD
  BA8C 5AF8 17D5 5272 \ 1FFC 8861 FC63 A1A5 7DC3
  2059 D058 1E12 0AF7 9112 233C C350 \ 4FC7 C808
  4213 A7C1 9375 4617 C3F4 E32E C379 5882"
  
• PACKAGE Complex_Feature cdslmd 1.0
  COMPONENTS"Verilog-XL2.4 325105.0"
  \ OPTIONSSUITE_RESERVED SIGN00504091605D
• FEATURE Complex_Feature_2 cdslmd 1.0 permanent 2
  \ SUITE_DUP_GROUPU DUP_GROUPU \ SIGN"002A
  0144 4AA5 01FD BA8C 5AF8 17D5 5272 \ 1FFC 8861
  FC63 A1A5 7DC3 2059 D058 1E12 0AF7 \ 9112 233C
  C350 4FC7 C808 4213 A7C1 9375 4617 \ C3F4 E32E
  C379 5882"

16
Next Generation Technology

• Taking a long-term, phased approach
• Phase 0 Gather Requirements
• Phase I Solution Development
• Comprehensive backward compatibility testing with
  Macrovision
• Get lots of feedback and input from customers
• Phase II Beta Rollout
• Phase III Full scale rollout
• Deploy changes to servers and license files to
  customers
• Phase IV Product Compatibility
• Work with RD to implement client side changes

17
Next Generation Technology

• Current testing has uncovered several issues...
• We are currently limited in what we can support
  by the code already deployed in the field
• Working closely with Macrovision to define
  strategy for enhanced compatibility (now and
  going forward).
• Quality (Compatibility) more important than
  schedule

Back to Agenda
18
TechniquesManaging your Licenses
19
Understanding your environment

• Different user groups, each having their own set
  of products. Licenses are not shared.
• Different user groups, each having their own set
  of products, but can share few licenses with
  other groups
• One set of licenses shared by all groups
• Etc...
• In other words, almost every situation is unique

20
Understanding your environmentSingle Server

• Licenses can be checked out only from this server
• Automatic reconnection
• If the license server goes down, there is no
  other server to connect to
• Queuing behavior
• If all of the licenses are already checked out
  and the product supports queuing, you will be
  queued to this server
• Characteristics of a Single Server
• This setup is encouraged if you have few users
• Maintenance is easy
• Communication and network reliability problems
  are minimal

21
Understanding your environmentMultiple servers

• Licenses can be checked out from multiple servers
• User configuration is more complex...based on the
  type of configuration implemented.
• Automatic reconnection
• If one server goes down all products connected to
  that server will try checking out from other
  servers automatically
• Queuing behavior
• If no licenses are currently available and the
  product supports queuing, the product will always
  queue to its Primary server.
• Characteristics of Multiple servers
• This setup is encouraged if you have moderate to
  large set of users
• Communication and network reliability problems
  are minimal

22
Understanding your environmentFault-Tolerant
Servers

• What is a Fault Tolerant Server?
• Multiple machines acting as a single logical
  server. Note all three servers must be identical
  platform/OS release.
• Cadence only supports a configuration with three
  machines
• If the master license server goes down one of
  the slave servers will take over.
• Automatic reconnection
• All active licenses will reconnect to the new
  master.
• Queuing behavior
• Acts like a single server (because it is!)
• Characteristics of a Redundant server
• User configuration is fairly straightforward
• Maintenance is high
• Communication and network reliability problems

23
Understanding your environmentSet up a proper
search path

• We recommend using port_at_host instead of the ltpath
  to the filegt
• Allows better fault tolerance when license files
  are changed.
• The license server is located using a PATH that
  is created using the following CDS_LIC_FILE,
  Clients file, LM_LICENSE_FILE, Default location
  of file
• Each of these may contain several servers, and
  they are concatenated together to form the
  license PATH
• Users should be setup such that their primary
  server is the first server their product looks
  for a license
• NOTE The path is an environmental variable, and
  has a length limit (Shell/OS dependant)

24
Understanding your environmentSet up a proper
search path

• Keep the final PATH as SHORT AS POSSIBLE.
  Whenever possible, do not put every possible
  servers for every possible products into
  LM_LICENSE_FILE
• The more servers that are in the path, the worse
  the performance can be . there are several
  negative checks...
• Will help avoid problems related to the loading
  of other vendor license files into Cadences
  application.

Back to Agenda
25
Understanding Cadence License FilesTypes of
Licenses

• Job vs. User (UHD) license types
• Unique job id vs. unique User/Host/Display
  triplet
• Uncounted licenses
• 0-quantity license will be uncounted,
  essentially it is treated as if there were an
  infinite number of these licenses.
• All 0-quantity licenses from Cadence are
  node-locked, and do not require a server.
• Site licensing is somewhat related to the
  uncounted type, but requires a server

26
Understanding Cadence License FilesTypes of
Licenses

• Temporary
• expires 45 days or less from the start date (for
  that FEATURE)
• Expiring Permanent licenses
• FEATURE that has an expiration date greater than
  45 days from the start date for that FEATURE
• Non-expiring Permanent licenses
• FEATURE that never expires
• These FEATURES have an expiration year set to 0
  e.g. 25-dec-0000

27
Understanding Cadence License FilesA Typical
License File...

• THIS LICENSE FILE HAS BEEN GENERATED FOR HOSTID
  xxxxxxxxxx
• Please replace "Cadence_SERVER" with
  hostname of your
• machine in line "SERVER Cadence_SERVER
  lthostidgt 5280"
• DAEMON ambitd ./ambitd
• FEATURE BuildGates ambitd 3.000 15-jan-2003 1
  BCCC2F48ED4539D26790 ""
• FEATURE Envisia_synthesis_with_PKS ambitd 4.000
  15-jan-2003 5 DC4C5FD82448AD7BA89B ""
• FEATURE libcompile ambitd 3.000 15-jan-2003 6
  2C5CFF38F55BF5A2F8DD ""
• DAEMON cdslmd ./cdslmd
• FEATURE 100 cdslmd 4.400 15-dec-2002 12
  0CBCEF48D95A0315CA56 "UHD
• .
• .
• .

28
Understanding Cadence License FilesProduct /
Feature Mapping

• Product id to Feature mapping
• -----------------------------------------
• Product id 111 Quantity 3
• Feature 111
• Feature plotVersa
• Product id 11400 Quantity 7
• Feature 11400
• Feature 300
• Feature 312
• Feature 960
• Feature 963
• Feature 964
• Feature plotVersa
• Product id COMFLT Quantity 8
• Feature Cierto_SPW_comm_lib_flt_pt
• Feature SPW_LIB_COMM_LIB

29
Understanding Cadence License Files Errors and
Warnings

• The following are typical of the type of message
  that may be appended to your license file
• These usually indicate a license configuration or
  generation issue that needs to be resolved
• 32110 ( The license generator does not
  recognize this product number )
• EF01 ( Feature IC_editfast is not
  available. since the
• "PCBDA" daemon is not supported )
• FET1101 ( The license generator does not
  recognize this product number )
• SYKCVH ( The license generator returned no
  feature lines for this product )

Back to Agenda
30
Understanding Cadences Licensing Standards
Policies

• Licensing covered by approved OMI standards.
• All licensed Cadence products should exhibit the
  same behavior patterns with regards to licensing
  interactions.
• License Naming Conventions
• Create readable license names
• Use full functional or product name
• Avoid acronyms (e.g. pcompxvf), numbers (e.g.
  21000) and special characters (, , , etc.)

31
Understanding Cadences Licensing Standards
Policies

• Strive for One FEATURE per product.
• Easier to understand usage reports and license
  file.
• Use model is more likely to be followed.
• May have separate features if product has
  independent pieces (or for compatibility and/or
  Product Family growth.
• Licensing for any given part number should remain
  compatible
• Sometimes leads to confusion when features that
  use older (obsolete) daemons are still shipped to
  the customer.

32
Understanding Cadences Licensing Standards
Policies

• Daemon Transitions Acquisitions
• Fact
• Cadence acquires companies that already have
  FLEXlm licensing
• Cadence tries to ensure backward compatibility of
  a given part number
• Result
• Either we transition to a new part number when
  changing the licensing
• OR
• ship obsolete daemons/keys for a long time
  after the transition.
• Both types of transitions have occurred in the
  past, and may happen in the future.
• Each has its own set of problems (and benefits).
• Current policy is to create new part numbers to
  manage the transition

Back to Agenda
33
Troubleshooting Licensing Issues
34
Troubleshooting -How can I debug licensing
problems?

• What does your network topology look like?
• You should not have an overly congested network
  or one with too much delay. Both of these can
  cause heartbeat and other failures.
• What does your license server do?
• For maximum performance, and in sites with a
  large number of users, the license server should
  be a DEDICATED machine.
• Use the lic_error utility
• Get a greatly expanded explanation of the error
  number printed out, and possibly a suggestion on
  how to fix the problem.

35
Troubleshooting -What about combining files?

• While it is technically possible to combine
  FLEXlm-based license files, there are a few
  disadvantages to this approach
• There is a performance degradation associated
  with large license files.
• It makes debugging problems a bit more difficult,
  and introduces questions as to whose problem it
  is in the first place.
• It is much better to maintain separate license
  files for each daemon and run multiple lmgrd
  daemons (one for each vendor daemon).

36
Troubleshooting -How can I debug licensing
problems?

• Examine the servers debug log files Why are
  some FEATURES in the license file rejected when
  the server is started?
• The server accepts only valid FEATURE lines
• the start_date for the FEATURE is less than the
  date the server is started or reread,
• has not expired,
• the 20 character encryption code is valid.
• In general, FLEXlm does not support duplicated
  FEATURE lines in a single license file.
• But, we need to allow demo keys to coexist in a
  license file

37
Troubleshooting -So, what is a valid FEATURE?

• Cadence daemons will allow multiple lines, BUT
  the server will throw out certain FEATURES which
  it deems to be unacceptable
• For a given FEATURE having multiple entries and
  that have start dates already enabled.
• All temporary keys will be allowed.
• For permanent keys,
• All permanent keys with the same start_date will
  be allowed
• If there are multiple sets of permanent keys
  having different start dates, only the set with
  the latest start_date that is enabled will be
  allowed.
• Prevents most cut and paste operations (trying to
  combine old licenses into the new license file).

38
Troubleshooting -How can I debug licensing
problems?

• Examine the servers debug log filesWhat does
  the UNSUPPORTED log file line mean?
• It is very important that the FEATURE lines are
  consistent in both the application client and
  license server versions of the license file
  (which may be different for a variety of
  reasons).
• The UNSUPPORTED line in the log file is most
  likely due to a mis-match in these two license
  files
• the client asks for a certain license file line,
  and the server is unable to supply a match.
• Usually, a license is granted anyway, if one is
  available
• it is not uncommon to see an UNSUPPORTED log file
  line followed immediately by an OUT line.

39
Troubleshooting -How can I debug licensing
problems?

• If its not the server, maybe it is the
  application? Access Internal Testability code
  built into the application
• Debug code has been built into the licensing API.
  
• This code appends information representing
  version, search path, actions, run times,
  results, and other diagnostics to a specified
  file.
• To access this testability code, execute the
  following
• setenv CDS_LIC_QA_TesT /tmp/client_debug_lo
  g.out

40
Troubleshooting - Heartbeats and TIMEOUT

• You can use TIMEOUT option in the options file to
  reclaim the license when the product has been
  idle for sometime
• Policy applies to ALL Cadence programs...If any
  anomaly observed, file appropriate call with
  Customer support
• Policy implemented by software that does periodic
  re-checks with the server to ensure that server
  knows it is alive.
• API limits network traffic to one check every 5
  minutes (clock time).
• If the client does not get an answer back, API
  will try to re-connect to a valid license
  server.
• If it cannot re-connect, the following happens
• 30 minutes Nothing happens (other than trying to
  re-connect)
• 30-60 minutes Warning message combined with a
  short delay
• gt 1 Hour Warning message, and 50 reduction in
  performance

41
Troubleshooting a stand-alone machine (Linux or
Windows)

• FLEXlm is a networked license manager, so If you
  can't "ping" yourself, then that is the "FIRST"
  thing to correct.
• Even in a single machine configuration, the
  licenses requires a working TCP/IP
  infrastructure...that means working hardware,
  software, name mapping, IP addresses, etc.
• If you don't fix this, you will see symptoms like
  the lmhostid command returns         The FLEXlm
  host ID of this machine is "" ...or..."FFFFFFFFFFF
  F...instead of...         The FLEXlm host ID
  of this machine is "0010a48977a0"
•  First, let's make sure the hardware is enabled. 
  
• Note if the Ethernet isn't connected, it tells
  the OS about that, and the OS won't load the
  drivers. so TCP/IP doesn't load, etc.

42
Trick the networking with... a Loopback Cable

• The "hardware" solution is to make a simple "loop
  back" plug (one that routes the transmit to the
  receive).
• This will "fool" the Ethernet into thinking it is
  connected.
• Works on any OS! 
• You can make one of these by hacking the end off
  of a cable... 

43
Trick the networking with... Software

• On windows, there is a registry "hack" (see the
  Microsoft knowledge base to find it, but it is
  not recommended).
• On Linux, it is a bit easier...
• Look at your /etc/modules.conf file to find out
  which module (aka driver) is aliased to your eth0
  interface.
• Edit your /etc/init.d/network script and insert
  the equivalent of the following line just after
  the "start" line             /sbin/insmod
  eepro100
• This will load the module for your ethernet
  device regardless of whether you're connected to
  a working network.

44
Troubleshooting a stand-alone machine (Linux or
Windows)

• Now that the hardware is talking to the OS, you
  have to take care of the naming
• Use IP address
• localhost (127.0.0.1)
• host file that maps the IP addresses to the
  Names
• Now you should be able to ping yourself (either
  by name or IP)
• Set up server
• Set path to 5280_at_127.0.0.1 (or localhost)

Back to Agenda
45
Other Gotchas

• Make sure to justify the added complexity of a
  Fault-tolerant configuration with the actual
  benefit.
• Dont just use lmreread all the time.
• Since license start date changes the encryption,
  each files features are unique.
• It is important to restart the server to clear
  its internal data structure
• Use the right version of the daemon
• Lmgrd gtVendor Daemon gt Client API gt License
  File

46
Other Gotchas

• Never assume that if it is a Macrovision
  feature in FLEXlm that Cadence (or any other
  vendor) will support it. Each implementation has
  unique characteristics.
• Example Borrowing... At this point in time,
  Cadence can not support borrowing...Requires
  changes to
• Business model
• Licensing Technology
• Compatibility
• Seems like it is taking a long time for the
  "port" to clear (Solaris)?
• It is a Solaris problem where it takes about 1-5
  minutes to release a tcp/ip port... Here's info 
  on how you can lower that value..
• /usr/sbin/ndd -set /dev/tcp tcp_close_wait_inter
  val 2400

47
Useful Pointers...

• URL for users to ask for notification whenever
  new releases are available
• http//sourcelink.cadence.com/en/softwareupdate/
  SUReleasePreferences.jhtml
• URL for licensing and installation information
• https//sourcelink.cadence.com/docs/files/ILS/Inst
  all_Lib.html

Back to Agenda
48
Q A Session

• Scott Baeder baeder_at_cadence.com